Betrayal's Shadow

by K H Lemoyne

  “Her songs could inspire tears or joy.” His muscles eased against her.

  “What about—”

  “Xavier can manipulate fields of energy. One of the reasons he’s able to cart his entourage around via folding, while the rest of us require direct contact to move others.”

  He had answered her question. Somehow, it didn’t make the awesome nature of the Guardian talents seem normal. “I don’t feel very changed, but I do feel closer to you.”

  “Bound souls, we don’t get any closer.” He kissed her palm and placed it over his heart. “You fit me. You always have, even without your changes. Now we need to determine how to maximize your new skills to safeguard you better.”

  ***

  “There’s definitely a change. A significant one.” Briet moved back from the microscope with a smile and glanced at her brother. His mood hadn’t changed since he’d arrived. “I could detect it in you with my own abilities, and now I have proof.”

  Ansgar rolled his shoulders and crossed his arms. “I don’t feel different, but I would have taken your word for it.”

  “For the council, we’ll need the proof.”

  “I don’t think the council is in the mood to look at proof, even if it materialized in front of them tied in ribbons sealed by the Almighty himself.”

  “Perhaps.” While Ansgar’s chemical balance was back to normal, her brother’s mood was still dour. “I have the tests from Isa, Maitea’s placenta and an old sample from Xavier, though a new one would help. And now yours. I would like some from the others, perhaps Grimm. Definitely Turen.”

  “Why Turen?” Ansgar walked over to the lighthouse window.

  The storm had driven torrents of rain in white sheets along the coastline, churning the water and whipping stray bits of dried vegetation and debris along with a thirty-mile-per-hour wind for the last hour. Briet would bet money this storm gained strength from her brother’s lack of humor.

  “He’s an anomaly. He’s been away from the Sanctum for several months, the only one aside from Xavier. Knowing whether his results read like yours might shed some light on this problem.”

  Ansgar turned back. “He wouldn’t have had the same regimen you’ve put me through.”

  Briet nodded in acknowledgement. “True, but that would be telling in and of itself.”

  It had taken her too long to determine something wasn’t quite right with Ansgar, perhaps because there’d been no change to his personality or his mannerisms. He was the same brother who’d bandaged her skinned knees, encouraged and bullied her in her lessons, and supported her decision for so many years. Not long after the women had been placed in cryo, she’d glimpsed something unusual interlaced within his molecular structure. An abnormality not present in hers, an enzyme subtly restricting the DNA that governed the extraordinary senses the Guardians utilized.

  Ansgar’s senses had decreased to an almost human level by the time she’d detected the problem, dampened to such a reduced level she worried for his safety.

  His anomalies surfaced at the same time she’d tested Maitea’s blood for any sign of corroboration for Xavier’s claim.

  Worried to paranoia, she’d forced Ansgar’s compliance to weed out potential problem areas. He agreed to forgo water and food from the normal sources all the warriors used, the Sanctum. After a dozen slow weeks, his results began to return to the levels she’d come to expect from her own kind, levels Grimm’s training qualified her to understand and detect.

  The healer’s ability to sense was instinctual, attuned to the body’s health, though she suspected he might not perceive a problem within the warrior group. He would be aware of a deficiency or an infection. A slow decrease in sensation might not register. With a DNA modification he wouldn’t have her skills to detect.

  Testing Maitea’s sample strengthened her convictions. Foreign and lethal toxins riddled her blood sample, all so microscopic only Briet’s molecular skills could detect the change.

  She put away her slides of proof in the tiny storage fridge. At Ansgar’s loud sigh, a reaction so out of character, she frowned and moved to stand beside him. “Has it gotten so bad?”

  “Salvatore has two teams looking for Turen. None who fought beside him are trusted to be in those squads—guilt by association.”

  “Since when have you ever cared about what Salvatore thinks, or anyone else, for that matter?”

  “Since it sends more focus my way and jeopardizes your safety.”

  Briet leaned in. He opened his arms to hug her. “They won’t find me.”

  “He’s too intense.” He whispered the words over Briet’s hair, the fear in them obvious. “I don’t trust him to listen to reason.”

  “Salvatore never seemed the emotional type.”

  He rubbed his thumb against her shoulder. “There’s no emotion. It’s a bizarre focus. He never wearies of reminding us Turen’s disappearance is a potential betrayal. He lectures incessantly of the risk of the human threat.”

  “Perhaps Salvatore’s infected. Like Xavier.”

  Ansgar shook his head. “This is different. I don’t really witness changes in Salvatore, just a frightening amplification of—” He shook his head.

  “What will he do if they find Turen?”

  “I hope for Turen’s sake they don’t. I suspect the teams are dragging their feet. Salvatore has whipped up a big case to make an example of him.”

  “When did we succumb to a dictatorship? I don’t remember our people tied to such rigid governance. Turen has done nothing wrong.”

  Ansgar let out a sound of disgust and held her tighter. It was as if he needed the reassurance.

  “The slide began after the women went into cryo, and the righteous frenzy evolved just before Turen was taken by Xavier.” He patted her shoulder and stepped away. “The fault lies with those of us who have let him rise to this point.”

  “Won’t anyone speak out against him?”

  Ansgar slid his hands into his jeans pockets and shrugged. “It’s the flip side of the coin from the accusation against Turen. Unless Salvatore commits an act that’s over the line or proves to be a threat, everyone is reluctant to take action against him. Proof is the key.”

  “By then it will be too late.”

  He raised his gaze to hers. “We better pray it doesn’t come to that.”

  ***

  Turen finished the perimeter check and headed back up the lane to the main house. Worry gnawed at him and tension wound the muscles in his shoulders into tight knots.

  God, he didn’t want to have this discussion with Mia. The last three months had been a happiness he’d never known. Time and proximity only increased his desire for the love and companionship he found with her. He could tell from the ease of her smile and the lightness of her laughter that her shadows were receding as she embraced the hope of a future together.

  Yet with each new week he’d also become more concerned. A twinge here, a rapid heartbeat there—at first he’d chalked her body’s responses up to pregnancy’s normal fluctuations. The fact she hadn’t mentioned the problems that he could clearly sense concerned him too.

  She was trying to shield him, absorbing the burden of worry.

  Three weeks ago, her pain had been so severe he’d found her gasping, crouched on the kitchen floor. She’d discounted the pain, but he could feel her worry, for the baby and for him. He observed her attempts to restrict her activities, to monitor every little nuance. The episodes were now more frequent, occurring when he wasn’t around to soothe the pain and alleviate the symptoms. He was no longer able to stanch the problem. The baby’s heartbeat would spike during the pain, and he was desperately worried about Mia surviving delivery.

  The consequences were unacceptable. He couldn’t lose her. Not after everything they’d survived. So he’d started considering options.

  He pulled the kitchen door closed behind him and waited a second. He watched the concentration play across Mia’s face as she worked on her laptop at the dining
room table. Not really wanting to instigate this discussion, he waited. Her frown changed to a smile when she glanced up.

  Too late to back out now. He pushed away from the door to join her. After a kiss to her lips, he took the seat beside her and covered her hand with his.

  “Go ahead, spit it out. Worry is written all over your face.” She mocked him, but a tiny furrow pulled between her brows.

  His fingers squeeze hers. “I need to talk to you about some options for the problems you’ve been having, all the episodes.”

  The color seeped from her face, but she nodded. Classic Mia, not bothering with distractions or avoidance; instead, she met confrontation head on.

  “You need to have someone knowledgeable to attend you, now and for the birth.”

  “One of your people.” Her eyes narrowed. “How do you propose we get by all those warriors who are gunning for us?”

  He shook his head. “We don’t. I’m going to the Sanctum.”

  “No.”

  A finger to her lips stopped her comment. “Please, hear me out.”

  She pursed her lips, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and worry.

  “I can get in and out fairly quickly. I think the best option is to enter the cryo, get Briet out, and bring her here.”

  A brief wave of relief passed over her face, followed even quicker with another frown.

  Lifting her hand, he kissed her palm. “Despite your fears, I would prefer to have Grimm. But his disappearance would be noticed. That would be dangerous.”

  “Not to mention that I tried to kill him.” She added, folding her arms across her rounded belly.

  “No, you didn’t. Believe me, you’ll know the difference if you actually try to kill someone.” He leaned back in the chair. “Briet trained under Grimm. She’s not a healer, but she has medical training and her skill is dealing with molecular structures. She would be able to determine problems and know more about dealing with them than any human doctor. Since she’s in cryo, unless someone was checking on her, no one would suspect she’s gone.”

  “You trust Briet?”

  “I should say ‘yes’ immediately. She’s one of my brethren and doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “But I trust no one with your safety. That said, I’ve known her all of her life and I’ll be here with you. She is my friend’s little sister, by association, she’s my little sister. She’s a gentle soul.”

  Mia bent her head. He could only imagine the conflicting thoughts swirling through her mind.

  “How long have you been considering this?”

  He gave her the truth. “Since the first pain, three weeks after I arrived.”

  Her head jerked up with a look of amazement. “You’ve known all this time and never said anything?”

  “I didn’t want to add to your worry.” He caught her chin in his fingers as she started to glance away. Her guilt over not confessing every pain wasn’t something he was going to let her get away with. “You’re entitled to whatever control you need to feel safe. There is no fault here. I don’t need you to ‘fess up’ to me. I need you to know I’m here for you. I love you.”

  She swallowed hard and closed her eyes with a quick shake of her head. “I thought they would go away. They seemed better for a while.”

  “I hoped the same thing. I’m not willing to risk your life if something happens. I can’t live without you.”

  She blinked at him, stroking her belly. “I want this all so much,” she whispered.

  He cupped her face between his hands and leaned to rest his forehead against hers. “It will be okay.”

  “When?”

  He took a deep breath. “Later this week.” When she gave a soft cry, he kissed her cheek. “We’ll make it through this too. I promise.”

  She nodded and pulled him closer, burrowing into his embrace. Turen held her. He prayed circumstance wouldn’t make him a liar. The alternative was enough to freeze him with dread.

  CHAPTER 18

  No. Not happening.

  Mia tried to focus on the memory of Turen’s voice. Instead, her mind veered back to last night.

  The pain had hit in the shower this time. Luckily, he’d come back from his perimeter check and found her curled on the floor of the bathroom stall. It had taken twenty minutes for him to soothe away the sharp pain in her side and confirm the baby’s heartbeat was back to normal. A full hour passed before the shivers left her body. He’d spoken softly and held her against his body, his solid strength a barrier against the fear riddling her nerves.

  His finger stroked her face, bringing her back to the present. Tight lines of worry and strain were evident around his eyes and mouth. “It’s going to be okay, love.”

  One nod was all she gave. She was unable to manufacture the words to comfort him since she didn’t believe them anyway. She refused to resort to lying to him this late in the game.

  “There shouldn’t be any reason for you to leave the house. The perimeter is set, and you can monitor everything from the remote receiver here in the kitchen.”

  She nodded again.

  “Try to stay off your feet and rest. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

  There was more. She could read it in his hesitancy. “Just spit it out.” A brief smile twisted his lips. They dropped too quickly back to a somber thin line.

  “If I’m not back in twenty-four hours, start double checking the remote sensor. Stay inside, don’t access the Archives and keep the metronomes wound. If you sense a threat, cover your scent, use any means necessary and leave. Don’t take anything with you. They’ll track it.”

  He held her so gently in his arms she wanted to cry from the tenderness.

  “Promise me you won’t wait for me. Get yourself to safety.”

  Damn, she knew there was more bad news. She opened her mouth to protest and, seeing the fear for her in his eyes, held her peace.

  “I will find you, no matter how long it takes. But promise me you will do everything you can to cover your tracks.”

  “I promise.” She bit her lip and then spit out the more urgent fear. “What if the baby comes? I can’t do this alone.”

  “I know.” He took a deep breath. “But we don’t expect him for several more weeks. If something goes wrong, if you reach out for me and I don’t come, you have to call to Grimm. Don’t wait. Don’t put yourself in jeopardy.” Turen’s hard tone pressed for her concurrence.

  “You said his absence would be noticed.” Then it hit her. She tried to turn away. He didn’t let her. If Turen wasn’t responding, it was because the Guardians had him. Then none of the Guardians would notice Grimm’s activities. She shook her head, not realizing the small cry she heard was her own. “I can’t do it.”

  He gave her arms a tiny squeeze to get her to focus before he pulled her into his embrace. “He’s a healer. He will help you first and ask questions later. I know you fear retaliation, but you need to trust me. Grimm isn’t the sort of man to be harboring you ill will. He would place the welfare of any Guardian mate and Guardian child—any woman and child, for that matter—over the dictates of our political situation.”

  He stroked her hair, and she tried to let go of her fear. It wouldn’t help him to carry her concerns with him, and maybe, just maybe, she would go to bed and wake up and he’d already be back.

  “How do I do it?”

  “Focus on what you remember of him. Think of his heartbeat. Seek the connection as you would me. Call his name. You’ve touched him and you’ve exchanged blood when the sword cut you both. You have the intimate details to do the call. He will hear you.” He stroked her hair. “And he will come. Because of the Sanctum’s security, you won’t fold to him. He’ll have to come to you.”

  A call from exchange of blood, it sounded barbaric. Mia rubbed her belly. “You make it sound so simple.”

  Turen held her face in his hands and gentled his thumbs across her cheeks. “I know this isn’t simple. There has been nothing simple
for you since you first showed up in my prison cell. I wish to God that I could change that. But you’re strong and smart. You can do this. I don’t believe we would be here together if we couldn’t get through the trials thrown at us.”

  Courage and right hadn’t helped Xavier and Maitea. Certainly they must have felt destined, too. She withheld that bit of negativity.

  As if he heard her thoughts, he said, “We’re special. You and I. We can do this, my beautiful warrior.” He waited and watched her face.

  Trying to muster her fortitude, she returned his look. Their son kicked under her palm and prompted her to smile.

  “Please. Promise me this.”

  “I’ll do it. But only as a last resort.” She forced a frown and crossed her arms over her chest. The façade didn’t hold. She clutched him to her, memorizing the bristle on his jaw against her cheek and the warmth of his body holding hers. “Please come back to me.”

  “Always.”

  With a final kiss, he folded from her arms. She hugged herself, trying to retain the warmth. He hadn’t addressed what to do if Xavier found her. However, there was really no answer for that. She set her teeth and with a deep breath headed into the bedroom and rooted through the top drawer of the dresser. Nestled in with her lace panties was a gun Turen had brought back from his detour in Tucson.

  He had tried to familiarize her with the weapon as a backup measure. Her pregnant body didn’t accommodate the sword and knife. She’d been too reluctant to handle the gun.

  It hadn’t stopped him from taking her to the garage to review it with her anyway.

  “I’ve never shot a gun before.”

  “It’s okay. I’ve put on the safety. See here.” He showed her the mechanism on the big silver beast as he wrapped her hands around the grip. “Breathe, love.” He’d pried her fingers loose and repositioned them. “You can wrap both hands around and release the safety, like this.” His fingers pressed hers through the motion.

  She wouldn’t be able to hit the broad side of a barn, but he always knew her thoughts.